


Gallery Piece

by HotCat37



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Bisexual Archie yas, But with happy bits in between the angst :''), F/M, Hurt Archie Andrews, M/M, Mrs. Grundy is gross and here's why, Smoking, Title based on Gallery Piece by DeMontreal, Trigger warning: Statutory rape, this is kind of sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24686851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HotCat37/pseuds/HotCat37
Summary: "Who has the control here?" Geraldine looks him right in the eye and raises a single eyebrow.Archie bows his head and hates how powerless he feels under her gaze. He grits his teeth as his shoulders sink.".......you do." He breathes out.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Geraldine Grundy | Jennifer Gibson, Archie Andrews/Joaquin DeSantos, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Joaquin DeSantos/Kevin Keller
Kudos: 33





	Gallery Piece

**Author's Note:**

> AU: Season 1. It's quite the same, but the canon events like FP and Joaquin hiding Jason's body happen a little later than in the actual show, while the encounter between Kevin and Joaquin (them kissing at the drive-through) happens earlier.
> 
> Why did I write this? I dunno, I just noticed that on Instagram people still think Mrs. Grundy wasn't that bad of a person and didn't basically manipulate and have sex with a minor. Just wanted to write about it with my own head-canons, I guess.
> 
> Btw, Archie doesn't relate to the actual message behind Exquisite Corpse, but it's a song that lets him vent his frustrations, especially with the chaotic instrumental and lyrics)
> 
> Trigger warning: This one-shot contains statutory rape (Archie can't legally consent, even if he says so) and adults being abusive (Only Mrs. Grundy and I guess Alice???) also implied drug abuse and underage drinking

Archie is fifteen when he loses his virginity. 

At the time, Mrs. Grundy's almost predatory eyes following his every step on the construction place didn't bother him at all. If anything, they made Archie feel excited. Having someone look at him like that......it was endearing. 

She asks him if he wants a ride, and he has a feeling if he says yes, something good will happen. They talk for a while, mindless chatting about music and school. Archie doesn't start feeling weird until the brunette woman slowly starts caressing his thigh. He glances up at her, feeling his face warm up. 

Mrs. Grundy smiles warmly at him. The summer sky is slowly being interrupted with grey clouds, it's going to rain soon.

"Do you trust me, Archie?" She asks him.

"Yeah." Archie nods without hesitation. It feels like the right thing to say.

It's only a minute or so later that Mrs. Grundy pulls over and leads him to the backseat. Hesitantly, Archie leans forwards and hopes it's okay to kiss her. She kisses him back rather enthusiastically, as he's pushed backwards and she climbs over him. He isn't really sure where to put his hands, Mrs. Grundy tells him to just follow her lead.

And he does. Archie feels like he's floating on cloud nine, kissing Mrs. Grundy seems right, the things she does with her hands feel good. They switch positions, Mrs. Grundy is looking up at him with an expecting gaze. Archie once again isn't sure what to do, she seems annoyed.

"S-sorry, Mrs. Grundy, what do I do....?" He stammers out, not wanting to mess anything up.

"Just put your hands over here, Archie. And call me Geraldine." It feels more like a command than an invitation but Archie doesn't question it.

An hour later he's back at his doorstep. Archie's back is stinging from where Geraldine scratched him. She made a lot of noise, she told him he did good. And he feels good. Feels proud.

He just had sex for the first time! 

Now he won't be called a stupid virgin by Reggie anymore. Archie is just about to text the good news to his friend but then remembers what Geraldine told him.

_"This is our little secret, okay? Can you keep it a secret for me?"_

Archie had found it weird that she was talking to him as if he was a little kid. But he told her he wouldn't tell anyone, and a promise is a promise. 

He goes into the bathroom and looks into the mirror. He's beaming, proud and satisfied. He smiles at his reflection. 

The water hurts Archie's back when he showers and his arms ache. It's a pain he can handle, though. Maybe sex is supposed to hurt afterwards, he can deal with it if the actual sex feels that good. 

He steps out of the shower and looks at his reflection again, hoping to see the same glowing grin. To Archie's surprise, there's a frown on his face. It's weird. He just cleaned himself off.

Why does he still feel dirty?

Geraldine asks him to stay after class is over. He waves goodbye to Betty and heads over to his teacher. Archie feels giddy when she peers at him through her glasses. He can tell they're about to do something they shouldn't, but that just makes it all the more exciting, doesn't it?

"How is your music going, Archie? Still writing songs?" Geraldine asks nicely.

He's a bit surprised by the question. Maybe they aren't going to do anything, after all.

"Yup! I just wrote this new song, it's about summer and being there for your friends." Archie keeps talking as Geraldine locks the door of the music room. 

He's still going on about the song before Geraldine cuts him off.

"Archie, be a good boy for me and be quiet. If you do, I'll make you feel good......" A sly smile plays at her lips as he takes off her glasses and unties her hair.

Archie's breath is taken away by how beautiful she looks. A small part of him is a little hurt that she just interrupted him, especially when she specifically asked him about it, but the bigger part of him is excited for what's about to come.

"Yeah, okay." He quietly says.

Geraldine does this thing with her hand again that makes him jolt and gasp. Every time he's a little too loud she threatens to stop in a rather snide tone. Archie wonders if he did anything to upset her, but doesn't stop in favor of having Geraldine continue doing that. 

Archie accidentally gasps again and her grip becomes painful. 

"If you're not quiet, we'll get caught! You don't want that, do you?" Geraldine finally snaps at him.

He shakes his head and sees how Geraldine's eyes darken. Archie doesn't feel as in control anymore as he felt the first time they did this. Archie asks if he can kiss her and tries not to show how embarrassed he feels when she rolls her eyes at him. Geraldine kisses _him,_ though, and it's nice, if not a little rough.

Archie shudders, the heated feeling in his abdomen suddenly wavering. He feels relieved and happy. That is until, he leans in to kiss her again and there's a knock at the door. Geraldine swears and tells for him to go out via the backdoor of the classroom. 

He once again doesn't understand why she's being so sharp with him but does as he's told. 

For the rest of the day, Archie snaps at people without meaning to. He doesn't know why he suddenly feels so angry without any reason. Geraldine made him feel good, he had fun. So why does it feel like there's an unwavering thundercloud above his head? 

It's just weird, Mrs. Grundy was so nice throughout the summer, but she started acting weird back when Archie suggested to report what they heard on the fourth of July to the police.

Archie walks past the drive-through, and sees Kevin with a skinny boy who's wearing the Southside colors. They're kissing, both of them look relaxed. He wonders if Kevin feels the same way about kissing that guy as Archie does with Geraldine. 

Wonders if Kevin sometimes feels empty afterwards.

With every encounter Archie has with Mrs. Grundy, he feels better and better during the duration of them. But he also begins feeling hollow inside each time they end. Archie will be smiling and biting his lip like a love-struck teenager after he's just fooled around with her, but then the next he'll be more easily irritated with the people around him and feel like tearing his hair out. 

Archie's body usually tends to ache afterwards, to the point he's exhausted by the time football practice starts. Reggie applauds him for the scratch marks on his back and Archie laughs along with him, but becomes anxious when he passes Geraldine in the hallway. He hopes Reggie didn't start spreading any rumors, she won't be happy if he did.

"Mr. Andrews, I'd like a moment to speak with you......." She's reverted back to her shy, clean act. Geraldine narrows her eyes and looks around for anyone watching the two of them with suspicion. 

"What's up, Mrs. Grundy?" Archie puts on his cool act as well, disguising the way he feels controlled and at Geraldine's mercy whenever the two of them are alone. 

She leads him into a classroom and proceeds to scold him. Apparently Reggie _did_ run his mouth. Archie tries to calm Geraldine down, but she keeps interrupting him and threatens that what they have is over if he doesn't do a better job at keeping their relationship secret.

"You're the one that left those scratches on me......" Archie points out, sighing and avoiding her eye.

Geraldine stops in the middle of her rant and lets out a sigh. For a moment Archie thinks she's finally settled down, but then there's a sharp pain in his cheekbone. The sound of the slap echoes through the empty classroom. He can feel a cut forming, Geraldine's nails broke the skin.

"Don't you ever talk to me that way again......" She says slowly and calmly, as if she were informing him about today's weather. There's a threatening undertone in her voice, though. 

"Who has the control here?" Geraldine looks him right in the eye and raises a single eyebrow.

Archie bows his head and hates how powerless he feels under her gaze. He grits his teeth as his shoulders sink.

".......you do." He breathes out.

Geraldine makes him feel trapped, kind of.

After school Archie walks towards his house without Betty. The black-haired kid he saw with Kevin a week ago is leaning against the school's gate, smoking and listening to his fellow Serpent friends talk. Archie catches his gaze on accident. 

Archie's somewhat enchanted with how blue the other teen's eyes are, before he hardens his face and glares. Serpents are no good.

The blue-eyed boy merely raises his eyebrows at the reaction, blank expression not wavering. Archie ignores him and shoves his hands deeper inside his Letterman jacket's pockets. He doesn't realize that the Serpent is watching him as he walks away.

"You okay, son?" Fred asks from where he stood in the kitchen.

"Yeah." Archie curtly replies, swinging open the fridge and taking out a can of beer. 

He walks past his dad again and huffs when Fred simply takes the beer out of his hand.

"Not old enough to drink yet, Archie." Fred reminds him with a frown.

"C'mon, dad, this is America. I can't believe it's easier to get a hand-gun around here than a can of beer......." Archie runs an irritated hand through his already messy hair.

"What's botherin' you?" And Fred's voice was warm, so warm in contradiction to Mrs. Grundy's voice. Archie narrows his eyes.

_How do you even tell your dad that you've been hooking up with your teacher?_

"Nothing." Archie swiftly turns around, not wanting to have this conversation now or like, _ever._

In the garage, Archie stares at his electric guitar and thinks about that one song he likes from the Hedwig musical Kevin and Veronica are obsessed with. It's a good out-let of his pent up frustration, even when he hasn't quite figured out the meaning behind the lyrics yet. It's weird, playing a song from a musical without context.

Whatever. Archie's fine with that. He wants to scream but realizes that this is a better alternative. 

So, he turns on his speakers and strums his plectrum roughly across his guitar. Exquisite Corpse blares so hard that Fred's hammer that lay on top of the car, bounces off.

Betty finds out as well as Veronica, and Archie leaves Pop's before she has a chance to scold him any longer.

Betty's words spook through his head.

_He might go to jail_

_He might go to jail_

_He might go to jail_

But for what? For not reporting the gunshot he heard or for sleeping with his teacher?

Mrs. Grundy is nice again when Archie invites her to watch a movie. It's like she has two personalities. With her hair tied and glasses on, she's somewhat reserved but sweet. With her hair down and glasses off, she's confident and mean. Most of the time Archie is just left floating in "what the fuck?" land, never sure how to describe the feeling he has with her.

She grips his hand, a little painful and a little forceful. Whatever. It's okay.

He wants to be with Geraldine, is what he tells both himself and Jughead. His best friend doesn't look quite as convinced as Archie hoped he'd be. 

Betty and Veronica broke into Geraldine's car. Her name is actually Jennifer, but Archie doesn't call her by that name yet. He's upset, and angry and confused. 

Later he does ask the question.

"Is your real name Jennifer Gibson?"

He keeps asking questions, this is the first time in a few days Geraldine doesn't react with a slap. Archie does take a step back when she takes her glasses off. 

Geraldine......Jennifer..... Mrs. Grundy......Gibson...... She talks about her abusive husband, Archie is empathetic towards her and feels like shit for ever allowing himself to be angry at her.

She hasn't done anything wrong. She loves him.

Archie hugs her and holds her close, she deserves someone that loves her.

The boy with the piercing blue eyes likes cherry cola. Archie sees him drinking it on a bench when he walks with Betty through the park. 

Archie gives Geraldine the gift. His heart warms when her face lights up and then she's praising him, praising, praising and touching him. 

But the thundercloud above his head returns and he knows he has to end the roller coaster that is his and Geraldine's relationship.

She doesn't get mad like he expects her to. No, Mrs. Grundy smiles when Archie says it's a see-you-soon present. She hugs him, and he hugs back. Briefly, it feels like his thundercloud has dissapeared.

His breath stutters in his throat when Geraldine leans up. Her lips are so close to his, and his mind goes blank. Archie squeezes his eyes shut and-

Alice Cooper bursts into the room with her loud voice and her hurtful comments.

Fred and Betty are there too. Archie can't help feeling like he's let them down. Betty's mom says something like _"Child predator"_ and Archie thinks he might throw up. 

The thundercloud has become a fucking storm.

Alice starts blabbing on about the wheels of justice. Archie stammers out the words "She didn't force me to do anything. I went after her!"

It's his fault. He's to blame here. Mrs. Grundy just wanted someone to be with that made her feel safe. 

If anyone deserves to go to jail, it's him. 

"I want you to see what kind of person Archie truly is." When Alice's accusing finger pushes into his chest, the impact feels a thousand times worse than it actually is.

Archie _is_ a bad person.

"I'm selfish. And I'm stupid. And I don't deserve to be your daughter's friend......" Archie says, because it's true.

Everybody knows it. Betty with her teary eyes, Alice with her harsh gaze, Fred with his soft, concerned face. And Geraldine. Geraldine knows he's stupid too. 

She's made that clear, but she didn't mean any harm by it. She just wanted him to be a better version of himself. She was just trying to help.

"I'll quit. I'll quit my job, is that enough?" Geraldine perks up, nervous like an animal driven into a corner.

Not only that. She has to leave town too. All because of Archie. All because he just couldn't keep the secret between the two of them for long enough.

Archie cries during the ride back home. He feels......serene, almost. Absolutely heart broken, self-hating and tired, but in a calm sort of way. 

It's over. 

"You're not stupid." Fred tells him, tender and wise.

Archie disagrees but doesn't say anything.

"This wasn't your fault."

That hurts him. Because how couldn't it be his fault? He's the reason Geraldine had to quit her job. He's the reason she wasted her teaching career at Riverdale High by fussing over and spending time with him. He's the reason Geraldine leaves Riverdale tomorrow.

Archie isn't the victim. He's the villain, if anything else.

Archie learns that the boy from the drive-in is called Joaquin when Kevin tells Archie to put that name on the list of guests for Jughead's birthday party. 

He doesn't know how to spell it, and is too embarrassed to ask Kevin, so he writes Wakeen on the paper. 

Archie hears the word _pedophile_ being whispered in the school's hallways. When he's back home, he opens Fred's liquor cabinet and drinks until his mind is fuzzy.

Later, when it's almost time for Jughead to arrive, Archie feels happy again. Alcohol does wonders on some people, maybe not Jughead's dad, but for Archie it's great. He walks over to Kevin and Wakeen, and the Serpent's striking blue eyes don't intimidate him like before. Archie swings a casual arm over both of the guys' shoulders and can't help feeling like his arm belongs on Wakeen's shoulder.

It's a weird thought, Archie drowsily realizes. He doesn't know this kid. He's Southside, a bad influence. 

"You spelled my name wrong." The party full of uninvited guests has been going on for an hour now, and it's the first thing Wakeen says to Archie since he arrived.

Archie blinks up from where he's half passed out on the couch. Wakeen looks down at him in amusement, plastic cup loosely placed in his hand. 

"W.....what?" Archie slurs out, brain rushing to comprehend the new information.

Wakeen chuckles slightly, taking a sip from his drink.

"Kevin showed me the guest list, man. You wrote W-A-K-E-E-N, but it's actually J-O-A-Q-U-I-N. Y'know, like in Spanish." Joaquin tells him with a shrug.

Archie feels a flush creep up his neck at being called out on his poor spelling skills.

"No." He says, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes." Joaquin confirms.

"Oh my....oh my God I'm s-so sorry......." Archie slurs out. Joaquin probably thinks he's high as a kite right now.

He kind of is, but like, high on liquor, y'know?

"Don't sweat it." Joaquin glances around the overcrowded house, watches Moose and Cheryl Blossom make out in the midst of all the screaming.

Archie doesn't reply, he doesn't feel _great_ anymore. Not like before. He spots Veronica talking to Kevin a few feet away. He wants to hug her. Or hug Kevin, doesn't make a difference. Betty's somewhere with Jughead again.

"Eh....you look a little pale, buddy." Joaquin tilts his head at him, looking down at Archie as if he's seeing something interesting.

"Ah, fuck....." The room starts spinning a little. Everything but Joaquin's blue eyes are becoming blurry. The other boy reeks faintly of bleach.

Archie gets up from the couch, wobbling towards the stairs with shaky legs. 

"Archie?" Veronica's voice sounds muffled and makes Archie's head pound even more.

He passes Valerie on the way and walks faster.

His throat feels like it's gonna explode. Or maybe he just has to puke, he doesn't know. Archie pushes his way past the teenagers hanging on the stairs but thankfully everyone respects the 'no going upstairs' rule he's installed when he was sober. 

Riot by Hollywood Undead is blaring downstairs as Archie leans over the toilet bowl. 

It's gotta be two minutes later, but at some point the room stops spinning. He leans back against the toilet, greasy strands of hair hanging in front of his eyes.

Archie's staring down at the floor tiles until he hears footsteps nearing. Looking up, he sees Wakeen. No, wait, _Joaquin,_ like, _Spanish._

"You good?" Joaquin leans against the doorway, one hand stuffed inside his leather jacket's pocket.

Archie opens his mouth to reply but the lump in his throat is back and then he's gagging into the bowl again. 

Fucking hell. He feels like _shit._

"Charming." Joaquin grins at him when Archie gets up.

"Thanks....." Archie grumbles, flipping the shorter teen off.

He stumbles over to the sink, splashing his face with water and wiping the vomit off with a wash cloth.

Archie meets Joaquin's eyes in the mirror.

He feels better.

As it turns out, Joaquin's 14. Kevin just mentions it casually one day, when they're walking to school. 

"So, we're having a little party or well, as Joaquin calls it "Small fucking gathering" at the White Whyrm and you guys should totally come!" Kevin babbles on and on.

"Oh? What's the occasion?" Betty doesn't seem to mind the idea, while Jughead on the other hand already scrunches his nose at the mention of the bar.

"He's turning 15 tomorrow!" Kevin cheerfully replies.

"Huh?? Joaquin's fourteen?" Archie's eyebrows skyrocket to his hairline, completely taken off guard.

"Not for much longer." Kevin shrugs.

Joaquin's birthday is in October.....October....October.....

It's a fitting month, Archie thinks. For whatever reason chilly weather and a grey but clear sky reminds him of the Serpent. His birthday is in the same month as Jughead's, just thirteen days after.

"When is it? Surely we'll have to come to your boyfriend's birthday party!" Veronica phrases it in such a simple way that Archie turns red at the realization that he's been obsessively thinking about the month in which Joaquin was born in.

Get over yourself......it's just a birthday.

"Tonight, after school! It's not gonna be too busy, probably some locals and a few Serpents hanging around........" Kevin added the last bit rather meekly, though. Archie couldn't begin to imagine what Tom Keller would think about his underage son going to a bar with Serpents.

"Serpents, huh?" Betty subtly links Jughead's fingers with hers, earning a sniff but also a very light smile from the moody teen.

"Whatever. If those leather-clad jerks got booze, it's fine." Jughead coolly answers. 

Funny. Jughead didn't even drink. And Archie doubted he'd drink, with how much like shit he'd felt last time he did.

"What about you, Archie?" Kevin offers Archie an expecting look. He doesn't really have any reason to turn down, does he?

"Sure, man! I'll be there." 

The party at the White Whyrm isn't very fun. There's already seven people drunk, including FP Jones who might or might've not provoked Betty and Jughead to go elsewhere, and Kevin, who's a bit tipsy and leaning against Veronica.

Archie almost managed to get himself into a bar fight, over pool or something. He was winning, though. But apparently the big, bearded guy with the Serpent tattoo didn't agree. 

Whatever. Maybe bars just aren't really Archie's kind of place. So he's sitting outside of The Whyrm, hands shoved in his pockets, staring at his own cold breath.

He can practically _feel_ someone's eyes on him. Archie turns his head slightly, sees Joaquin standing in the bar's doorway, cigarette hanging limply between his fingers.

"Sup, Red. Didn't know you smoke." Joaquin greets, calm and monotone. Archie's not sure he's ever seen a different kind of facial expression on Joaquin, except the maybe occasional amused smile.

"Ha _ha._ You think you're funny, don't you?" Archie crosses his arms over his chest and sinks deeper into his seat. He blows out another cold breath as Joaquin chuckles.

"I think I'm hilarious." Joaquin informs, making himself comfortable on the other end of the bench.

Archie finds it weird. Joaquin's already smoking at 14, he's got no idea when he even started doing it. Is it Serpent code? Addiction? A way to try and fit in? It just baffles him. Joaquin's so....so mature, at 14. Last school year Archie was a scrawny, freckled kid with ginger hair flopping over his eyes. 

"When did you start smoking?" Archie prompts cautiously.

"Since, like, last year? Yeah, somewhere around that time."

14. _Geez._

"Jesus, Joaquin, you're 14 and already addicted?" Archie knows he should probably watch his tone, Joaquin is a _Serpent_ with a pocket knife after all, but he can't help but ask.

"Not addicted." Joaquin points out. "I only do it when I'm stressed or bored. I could quit if I want to."

Archie doubts that.

"Then why did you start in the first place?" Archie frowns at him.

"It's Serpent tradition to smoke. Well, not _everyone_ does it but I figured I might as well just give it a try." Joaquin says it all so casually, like it's _normal_ to be smoking your lungs back at this age and being involved with a gang.

"When did you join the gang?" He should probably stop asking questions he doesn't truly want answered, the less he knows the better after all, but something in Archie just wants the other teen to keep talking.

He's not much of a talker in general, maybe that's why Archie's so invested in whatever Joaquin says when he _does_ speak.

"At about 11, I think." 11. Jesus fucking _Christ._ Joaquin notices Archie's distraught look and waves his cigarette around in a dismissive manner. "Relax. One of the rules is that until you enter high school you're not allowed to run any errands or have a drink." 

That seems like basic common sense, but then again, who is Archie to judge?

"That doesn't sound fun......." The ginger mutters, chewing at the inside of his cheek.

"Maybe not. But it's a life-style you gotta adapt to on the Southside." Joaquin takes another drag from his cigarette, from his _cancer stick,_ and then holds it out to Archie.

He ponders it for a moment, pictures Fred's disapproval and then takes the cigarette between his fingers. If he takes a drag now, just once, he'll remember how terrible it tastes and never try it again.

Archie sucks on the end of the cancer stick and smoke rapidly fills his lungs. He starts coughing and heaving to the point there's tears in his eyes and he feels his face grow hot with embarrassment. Joaquin watches him with a content smile, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand as he watches Archie choke to death.

"God! How do you even smoke this crap?!" Archie wheezes once his breathing's turned relatively normal.

"You get used to it after a while." Joaquin's tone remains light-hearted as he crushes the cigarette underneath his sneaker. 

"Gah, can't imagine......" Archie grumbles.

Joaquin looks at him again, his head slightly tilted to the side. Like he's looking at a painting. Archie sniffs and averts his eyes, feeling his face flush once again.

"Hey, Joaquin! Coooooome check this out!" Kevin slurs from inside the building.

"Comin'." Joaquin calls, then looks back at the Bulldog. "You might wanna head home, freckles. Mustang gets real pissy after 6."

"Thanks......" Archie watches Joaquin's skinny frame stalk back into the bar, the logo on the back of his jacket standing out loud and proud.

Archie gets up and hugs his own jacket tighter, then stills and frowns. Joaquin just called him _freckles._ Sure, Archie has them, but they're very hard to detect unless you watch his face very closely. 

He wonders if Mrs. Grundy ever noticed them.

Joaquin and Kevin broke up, apparently. Veronica tells him at school, that apparently just a few days back during the party, they had a fight. Keller never mentioned anything about it, though, so naturally Archie was surprised when he heard about it.

Later after school, Archie finds the now 15-year old leaning against the fence behind the drive-in, where he'd spotted him and Kevin kissing before.

He's not smoking this time, sipping from a can of cherry cola instead. When Archie approaches him-because fuck it why not-Joaquin doesn't seem aggravated like Archie expects him to be. Unlike Kevin, who's been moody and snappy all week, the blue-eyed boy acts the same way as he always does.

"Hey, Red." Archie hates that nickname, but coming out of Joaquin's mouth it doesn't sound all that bad.

"You and Kevin broke up?" It's none of his business, really, Archie knows he's being nosy. 

"Mhm. Had a fall-out at the White Whyrm." Joaquin doesn't look him in the eye, looks at Archie's hands around his backpack straps instead.

"Shit." Archie says, because it's all he can come up with. He doesn't ask what the fight was about, doesn't matter anyways.

"Yeah." Joaquin agrees.

Archie leans against the fence, two feet away from the other teen. For once he's not sure how to keep the conversation going. He's never been.....friends with a Serpent before.

Well, no, he can't exactly say him and Joaquin are friends. Truth is, Archie has no freaking clue what they are to each other. 

_My friend's ex-boyfriend who I think about sometimes?_

"Got a girlfriend?" Joaquin asks into the silence, like a lightning bolt striking through an unsuspecting cloud. 

Archie tenses up and swallows. Well, he dated Valerie for a few days....... Not a great success, but he'd liked her. 

"Not anymore......" He quietly claims.

Joaquin looks like he's debating whether or not to speak again. Like he's about to ask a question he wouldn't normally deem appropriate. Archie can pin-point the exact moment Joaquin's decided, then he asks:

"Music teacher?"

Two simple words. Any outsider would be confused as to what's that supposed to mean. What kind of weird question that is, but Archie knows well enough. It's not a super well-known thing around school, but somehow it got revealed. By Alice maybe, who knows?

Yeah. Some people knows he's had an affair with Mrs. Grundy. Reggie's managed to twist the story enough to make it seem like a stupid rumor, not a fact, but it still makes Archie feel sick whenever he hears it being talked about in the cafeteria or hallways.

Joaquin takes note of his silence, his eyes soften, just a little bit.

"You don't gotta say anything, y'know. It's just a rumor that's been floating around, none of my business, anyways." Archie picks at his sleeve, thinks about what to say in return.

He's not about to open up to this semi-stranger, is he? It's a bad idea, probably. But Archie's always been good at carrying those out.

"It's not a rumor....." Archie says through gritted teeth. Joaquin doesn't look surprised, or disgusted. 

No, his face remains absolutely blank. 

"You know that's messed up, right?" Joaquin's tone isn't judgemental, oddly enough. He asks the question like he's making a simple observation.

"Yeah, I know it's messed up that thanks to me she lost her job......" Archie sighs and tips his head back against the fence.

Joaquin shakes his head, glancing away before speaking up again.

"Wasn't your fault." Joaquin tells him, as if he knows anything about it.

Archie lets out a humorless chuckle.

"If I would've just kept my mouth shut and kept it a secret, she wouldn't have left Riverdale....."

"If you hadn't said anything, you might've gotten into serious shit." Joaquin contradicts.

"Huh?" Archie shoots Joaquin a puzzled look.

"The power dynamic isn't fair." Joaquin explains slowly, undoubtedly knowing Archie doesn't know what the fuck he means. "She could've gotten you kicked out of school, messed with your grades or blackmailed you......."

"Geraldine would never do that! S-she cares about me!" Archie knows he's yelling but he can't help it. _Fuck_ Joaquin for even suggesting she'd ever do that, he doesn't know jack shit.

"If she cared, she wouldn't have used you like that in the first place." Joaquin coldly remarks.

Archie stills, thinking of the time she slapped him, of all the times she made him feel like shit. That she's always been the one in control. 

His mind goes blank, as well as his face. Archie feels empty all of a sudden, staring down at his shoes. Staring at _anything_ to escape Joaquin's icy blue eyes.

He can tell Joaquin is hesitating again, probably not having expected such a reaction. The Serpent clears his throat and slicks back his hair.

"Ah....sorry. 's not really cool of me to just talk 'bout it like that when I don't know shit about what happened." Joaquin swallows as Archie looks up at him.

"Okay." 

Archie wants to kiss him. Wants to kiss Joaquin and forget all about _her._ Forget about that....power dynamic, or whatever shit Joaquin was talking about. 

Maybe not an appropriate moment to kiss someone, with the turn their conversation took and how Joaquin and Kevin only just broke up. But Archie's good at making irrational decisions. It's what he's known for.

"I think I better go-" Just as Joaquin prepares to turn around, Archie grips the collar of his jacket and drags Joaquin close until they're chest to chest.

He doesn't look nervous, but Joaquin still curls his fingers around Archie's hand fisted in the material of his jacket. 

"Easy there, killer. We don't need to make this violent......." Joaquin calmly tells him.

Archie leans forwards and kisses him. He pulls back immediately, though, when he feels Joaquin go still against him. 

**_Fuck, oh fuck, oh-_ **

Joaquin pulls him back in. It's.....relaxing, somehow. Kissing a boy feels different than kissing _her._ Kissing _Joaquin_ feels different. He's surprisingly gentle, not at all like the way he'd been kissing Kevin last month.

It's nice.

They date in secret for a while, because honestly, Archie really doesn't want to face Kevin Keller's wrath. Fred notes he's been more happy lately, apparently, and Archie shrugs in response, smiling down at his lukewarm fries.

He wants Joaquin to meet his dad soon. Fred would approve, but tell Joaquin to stop smoking around his son, or something like that.

Making out with Joaquin is nice, but Archie wonders when he'll want to have sex. He's not in a rush or anything, he's only done it with....well, _her_ before, and Joaquin is a _guy._ It feels like they should do it, sometime soon, maybe.

They go to the Drive-In for a secret date. There's some 90's movie playing, The Usual Suspects? Something Jughead would definitely like. Archie doesn't know, he's not really paying attention. Joaquin likes the loud Italian guy.

When the Serpent kisses him, he tastes like smoke and cherry cola. Not the best combination, but it's familiar and very _Joaquin._

Archie watches him laugh occasionally, not a breathy, amused chuckle but a full-blown laugh. Where Archie cackles like a maniac, Joaquin snorts a bit. They match, in a fucked up sort of way. 

When Joaquin takes his hand, Archie expects it to turn into something sexual. He's.....not really prepared, but he could manage.

Except it doesn't. Joaquin takes his hand and simply holds it, puffing out a cloud of smoke through his nose. His nails don't dig into his skin, it's not forceful, it's just.....holding.

**Soft.**

It's a weirdly cinematic experience. Archie can't stop staring at his..... _boyfriend,_ Jesus. The other teen notices him and winks, making the ginger pick his jaw up from the fucking floor.

Joaquin makes Archie feel like a million bucks, as cliché and truly incorrect that sounds. Archie isn't particularly wealthy, but he's damn _rich_ in comparison to Joaquin. He lives in the Sunny Trailer Park and has a shower that works or doesn't work on random days. His carpeted floor is covered with white sprinkles and there's a few needles under the coffee table. 

Joaquin's room is cold and rather empty. Archie suggests maybe taping some Christmas lights to the wall above his bed, cheer the place up a bit.

Joaquin laughs at his suggestion and says it's stupid. But he doesn't call _Archie_ stupid, so Archie just shrugs and leaves it for what it is.

He loves Joaquin, maybe. It's a thought that suddenly crosses Archie's mind while he's in science class. It all adds up to Veronica's personally claimed "Signs You're In Love With Him" list she proudly beamed on about.

Again, it adds up. He thinks about Joaquin daily, tries meeting up with him as much as he can, likes him in a non-sexual way too.

Joaquin is _hot_ yeah, but he's also cute, and mean and smart. Archie _likes_ him, geez.

Joaquin looks at him like he's a painting in a gallery. _She_ wanted to tear the painting apart and touch it. Joaquin just wants to look at it and admire. Love, _maybe._

Or some shitty metaphor like that.

Archie loves Joaquin, and Joaquin helped covering up Jason Blossom's murder.

It hits him like a punch in the face, when his _boyfriend_ tells him. Okay, he doesn't really tell Archie, not willingly, but admits to being involved with disposing of Jason's body when asked by Kevin.

A lot has happened, but bottom line is, Jughead's dad might be a murderer and Archie's boyfriend helped clean up the corpse.

He's furious, honestly, but sad and empty too. Like there's a storm hanging above his head.

Joaquin decides to leave town, leaves like _she_ did, to get away from Archie and Riverdale's darkness. In front of the bus heading to San Junipero, Joaquin turns to look at him, duffel bag around his shoulder and eyes soft.

He actually looks sad for once, there's no amusement to be found in Joaquin's smile.

"M'sorry, pretty boy........."

Archie wants to scream. He wants to _punch_ Joaquin and throw him around and scream some more. 

But he doesn't do any of those things. He treats Joaquin like a painting instead, gently cradles his jaw and shares one last kiss with him. 

"I'll see you again......right?" Archie looks down at the hand Joaquin has placed against his heart, knowing the other can feel how rapidly it's beating.

Joaquin offers him another crooked and yet picture-perfect smile.

"Fuck yeah." 

Jughead comes to stand beside him as the bus drives off. They watch it disappear in silence. Archie doesn't ask for how long Jughead's been standing there, and Jughead doesn't ask about what happened.

"Did you like him?" Jughead suddenly asks. 

He ponders it for a moment. Joaquin made him feel free. He made Archie's thunder cloud transform into a sun.

Archie _loves_ Joaquin, but he's gone now.

_"Yeah."_


End file.
